Charlotte’s Economy (A Fable)

[Daveparts]

Charlotte’s Economy (A Fable)

By David Glenn Cox

http://theservantsofpilate.com





Atlanta Examiner:

"Salutations!"

"Who said that?" Wilbur the pig asked. "Do you want to be my friend?"

"Of course I do, Wilbur."

"Then where are you?" he asked the voice again.

"I’m up here, Wilbur, in the rafters at the back of your stall."

"You’re that little spider?"

"That’s offensive, Wilbur, we prefer to be called Arachnid-Americans."

"I’m sorry, I don’t get out of my stall much so I not up on these things."

"I understand that, Wilbur. Little pigs such as yourself don’t get to see much of the world. But we Arachnid-Americans, we have seen much and we’re your friends and we want to help you."

"What’s your name?" Wilbur asked. "What kind of spi… I mean arachnid are you?"

"My name is Charlotte. I’m a Ground Or Prairie arachnid."

"If you don’t mind my asking, Charlotte, if you’re a Ground Or Prairie arachnid, why are you up in the rafters?"

"Because Wilbur, we GOP arachnids are social climbers; that is part of our philosophy of life, to rise as far as possible and to help others climb, too!"

"You want me to live in the rafters and spin a web, Charlotte?"

"No, Wilbur, not like me. You can rise as far as a pig can rise and that will always be far below where I will rise to, but it is still better than laying in the mud and muck all day."

"I like my stall, Charlotte. They bring me fresh straw to lay in and food to eat."

"Oh, Wilbur, you poor, poor pig. Wouldn’t you like to live upstairs? Wouldn’t you like to eat the best food instead of just what they bring you? You can, you know."

"What are you talking about, Charlotte?"

"I'm talking about Zuckerman and his rules. The horses pull a plow and Zuckerman feeds them; the cows give milk and Zuckerman feeds them. But Templeton the rat works as hard or harder than any of them, and does Zuckerman feed him? No, he doesn’t. I live up here in the rafters, catching bugs day and night and does Zuckerman feed me? You see, all these rules that Zuckerman has in place are unfair to the ambitious animals."

"What about me, Charlotte? I don’t give milk or pull a plow or catch bugs. Zuckerman’s rules protect me. What would happen to me?"

"Wilbur, you are special. Once we get rid of Zuckerman’s rules there will be so much prosperity that you will live like a king. When Fern comes to see you, tell her you want the key to the feed bins to wear as a necklace. That way you will have a job, too, keeper of the feed bins."

Soon Wilbur was sporting the key around his neck on a red ribbon. Templeton the rat saw it and asked, "Say, Wilbur, let me borrow the key to the feed bins."

"Whatever for, Templeton?"

"Well, Wilbur, that feed is just sitting there; I can use it as an investment for us. I can sell it today for a profit, then when the harvest comes in the prices will fall, and I can buy it all back."

"I don’t know," Wilbur pondered. "It’s not really mine to give. It belongs to Zuckerman."


http://www.examiner.com/x-3375-Atlanta-Liberal-Examiner~y2009m2d16-Charlottes-Economy-A-Fable